The Very Beginning
by morganc
Summary: Megan works at a local diner on the outskirts of town. On rare occasions, she doesn't have a ride home. Tonight happens to be one of those nights. Patch shows up and offers to take her home. Megan has isolated herself and completely separated from deep relationships. Patch is willing to change that. In a matter of hours, Megan's world is gutted and turned upside down.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

My shift at a local diner ended at midnight; I had just stepped out of the main doors when I realized that I didn't have a ride home. _Nobody will want to come pick me up._ Trying anyways, I called anyone who owned a driver's license and a car. After ten minutes of begging and pleading, the outcome was clear: no one would be able to, not even my mother. _I really shouldn't stay much longer._ The after-hour regulars were rolling in already, casting suspicious glances towards me. I started to panic and took a reluctant step forward, but I made the mistake of looking up, and automatically froze to the sidewalk. A sleek, black Tahoe was sitting on the curb, with the engine running, in front of me. The passenger's side window was rolled down; the driver's dark eyes penetrated me. I couldn't tell if he was curious or hungry - for what, I don't know. He spoke before I could formulate a word.

"Need a ride?" The deep undertone of his voice made my stomach flutter, but red flags overcrowded my mind.

"No," I lied, my voice a bit shaky. I held my head up in defiance, not knowing what his full intentions were. I could tell already that he could see past my lies, no matter how much I wished he couldn't.

"It looked like you were going to walk home. How far away do you live?" he frowned. What killed me is that I wanted to trust him, but the limits I set for myself weren't letting up. Seeing I had no logical choice otherwise, I told him the truth.

"About three miles."

"About three miles is way too much to walk, especially in the dark like this." I breathed a sigh, exhausted. He's steering me in the complete opposite direction of what I intended to do, and it's working. He's not leaving me any options. I glanced around for an easy escape, but he immediately saw what I was going to do. "I wouldn't try it." My eyes somehow found his again. I really didn't want to give in; I've just barely met him and was already trying to seduce me into his car. I groaned in frustration; he won and he knew it. The plead, persistent in his eyes, made it impossible to leave. A slow, playful smile dawned on his face.

"Fine!" I growled, opening the car door and getting in, noticing the ominous warmth. I buckled, shaking off the questions forming in my mind and tossed my bag onto the floor. I turned to face him as soon as I settled. His eyes had finished roving me, and I shivered lightly. His facial expression had cooled, his eyes seemingly brighter than before. His elbow was firmly planted on the middle console, his hand supporting his head. I got a good look at him now that I wasn't on the outside looking in. His black hair is messy and a little bit curly; his eyes as dark as the sky, taking in everything but giving away nothing. His lean and muscular build taunted me. Although, he did look intimidating, his strength embodied in every single aspect. There was no way I could deny the softness in his eyes, either; I'm sure tons of girls flocked around him whenever they got the chance, which made me feel pathetic, like I was just another girl in his car.

"Do you work here?" he asked.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Part time?"

"Yeah... how did you know?" I frowned, then I mentally cursed myself for asking.

"Just a guess." I had a feeling it wasn't "just a guess." He _had_ to have known from somewhere.

"Do you always walk home?"

"This is starting to feel like twenty questions; and no, not always."

"Well, it isn't... unless you want it to be."

"Not really."

"Alright, then." He wove his way out of the parking lot and onto the highway.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Patch."

"Megan," I rebounded. He took a second to memorize it.

"I like it," he concluded, smiling. His smile caused butterflies to erupt in my stomach, like little giggles.

"Thanks." I curled into the seat to conserve what was left of my body heat.

"Cold?" he wondered, looking at me.

"A little," I replied meekly. Patch turned a couple dials, and heat blew softly from the vents onto my face. I looked up. We were crossing the highway to a back road that I usually took home. A thick silence stretched between us for a couple minutes.

"I don't want to scare you, but I've been keeping an eye on you for the past few months." He glanced at me quickly to see my reaction. It didn't occur to me until now that I hadn't given him my address to take me home. _That's why he's taking the back road. He already knows._ I couldn't believe it. I turned to face him.

"Why?" I demanded.

"It's... complicated," he sighed.

"What, like everything else in the world?" I retorted.

"No, it's just hard to explain." The tone of his voice was almost agonized.

"Oh, joy. Hold on, you know where I live, don't you?"

"Yup."

"Great," I threw my hands up, "you'd better not start stalking me."

"Too late," he smiled, easing the sudden tension. I made a face at him. "I'm kidding!"

"Whatever." I crossed my arms.

**10 minutes later**

Patch rolled to a stop in front of my house and killed the engine so that silence permeated the air. I bent down to grab my bag, preparing myself to make a mad dash for it before I lost myself in his car. I turned to face him, to say goodbye, but he was looking at me with a certain intensity, a fire in his eyes that tortured me. If I wasn't in trouble before, I was now.

"What time do you go to work?" His question caught me off guard so much that I didn't know what to say for a few seconds. _So much for trying to keep myself composed._

"Around 11:30. I have to be there by noon; I work until midnight."

"Should I pick you up and take you home, then?" His offer was completely unexpected as well.

"If it's not too much trouble, that would be great."

"No problem. I'll come at 11:30."

"Okay, thank you so much for taking me home."

"You're welcome," he smiled. I turned again, unbuckled and opened the car door, starting to step out when Patch caught my wrist. I whipped back around. He already had a pen gliding over the top of my hand; the numbers were clearly printed. When he finished, he put the pen down and pulled my hand up to kiss each of my fingers as softly and gently as he could, his eyes devouring me. My breath caught in my throat. He rubbed the top of my hand, leaving warmth and traces of him on my skin.

"You don't know how long I've been waiting for you, Megan." His eyes searched mine to see if I felt the same way. I was at a loss. I'd just met him. Cursing society for being so cruel, I nodded a bit in acceptance. Patch slowly leaned in, waiting for my approval. I leaned in too, wanting nothing more at the moment. The kiss started softly, our lips grazing each other's. Patch's hands snaked around my waist and pulled me in his direction, urging me to come closer. I got out of the passenger's side and crawled over the console, straddling him as he wrapped me in his strong embrace. The kiss continued lazily, but grew with desire and longing. Our breath mingled. After a minute, his mouth trailed down my neck. All my muscles tensed. I knew what was coming and I didn't like it.

"Patch?" I whispered.

"Hmm?" He watched me for a moment.

"I'd better go," I told him. I waited for any objections before I crawled over the console again to grab my bag, and gave him one last look before I stepped out on the passenger side, shutting the door. I started walking towards the front door, defeated.

"Megan?" Patch called from behind me. I stopped and turned around where I was, halfway between the door and his car. He walked over to stand in front of me. "I'm sorry for leaving a bad impression like that." He sounded sincere.

"It's fine; you didn't know." Assuming we both knew what we were talking about. He sighed and took a couple steps toward me. Our bodies were so close to touching.

"I don't want to scare you away."

"You haven't." I shook my head, solidifying the fact.

"I know that you're frightened by the fact that I've been keeping an eye on you, but trust me, the whole thing was completely harmless."

"How did you know about me? I mean, out of all the girls, why me?"

"I had heard about you from a mutual friend of mine, at first. And when I say I've been keeping an eye on you, I mean that I was making sure you didn't get hurt or anything. Then I started to like you going into the first month of it. I realized that I couldn't keep my distance anymore." I stood there, stunned and silent for a moment. He watched me and I watched him.

"Wow. I... I can't believe it."

"I know it's a lot to take in... Just promise you'll call me if you need anything?"

"I promise."

"Alright. Goodnight, Megan. Sleep well." He started to step backwards and turn towards his car.

"Patch?" He turned again to face me. We were only a few feet away from each other.

"Hmm?"

"Please stay with me tonight." He crossed the short distance to stand in front of me again, taking my face in his hands.

"I would. Trust me, I would, but I can't tonight." His eyes blazed. "I'll see you tomorrow." He walked back to his car without hesitation. I was still standing in the same spot when the bright red taillights faded into the darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The next morning came at me with hurtling speed. I woke up with a groggy mind, and realizing I had to work today wasn't making anything better. The fact that I was going to see Patch again made me get out of bed. I got ready for work, taking a few extra minutes on my makeup and hair. I checked my phone; it was 11:20. I had a few minutes left to spare. I went downstairs, with my bag, to sit on the couch and wait for Patch. I heard the doorbell ring within 10 minutes and immediately jumped up to go answer it. I opened the door to find Patch leaning in the side of the doorway with a smirk on his face.

"Hi," I smiled.

"Hi. Miss me much?" he wondered, smiling.

"Duh." I rolled my eyes. I turned to go grab my bag. "You can come in, you know." I turned again to see his reaction. His smile grew.

"Alright, if you say so." He stepped inside and shut the door. I picked my bag up and threw it over my shoulder, turning once again to face Patch, standing in front of me like he did last night, but with a different expression on his face. "You ready for work?" he asked.

"No," I snorted.

"Any particular reason why?"

"Yes."

"Does this reason have a face?"

"No."

"You're such a bad liar."

"I am not! You're just good at knowing when people lie."

"Who is it?" I hesitated.

"This guy that works at the register. He flirts with me every time I go to work, plus he's not very attractive."

"Well, that's a good thing. We wouldn't want him to be attractive. What's he look like?"

"Skinny; blond; I'm pretty sure he does drugs behind the counter."

"_Takes_ drugs or _does_ drugs?"

"Both."

"What's his name?"

"Alex."

"Alright, looks like I'm going to have to talk to Alex..." He started towards the front door in an attempt to get a head start. I reached over and grabbed his arm playfully in an attempt to stop him.

"No! You can't." He turned to me, smiling. I was still holding onto his arm.

"Why not?"

"Do you _know_ how it would turn out?"

"Of course. Alex would be laying on the floor, possibly unconscious and with a slight black eye."

"Patch!" I scolded hysterically.

"What? I'm only trying to protect you." His tone suddenly turned serious. "Has he done anything other than flirting?" I looked at him, not saying a word.

"Megan. Has he? Please tell me he hasn't." The playful smile was completely gone from his face.

"He's... threatened me a couple of times."

"With what?"

"Force." He sighed.

"I need more, Meg. What kind of force?"

"I don't know how to explain it... Like, physical force? I don't know what to call it."

"As in?" I could feel the muscles in his arm tensing.

"He's tried to get me to do things to him, and told me that if I didn't, he'd kill me." Patch's eyes widened, and without another word, he took my hand and pulled me to his car, driving way over the speed limit to the diner.

We got there faster than I could ever get there, and when we parked in front of the diner, the after-hour regulars stared at me, then Patch, through the window. Patch turned off the engine and started to open the door to get out.

"Patch." He turned to face me.

"What?"

"Don't do this…" I pleaded, grabbing his hand. Tears brimmed my eyes and he leaned over to kiss me lightly.

"I need to. There's an asshole in there that needs a concussion and a slight black eye."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

I waited in the car for what seemed like hours before Patch came out of the diner, looking somewhat aggravated. I watched him as he got back into the driver's side and settled. He turned to me and sighed.

"What happened?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

"I talked to him and made him swear not to touch you ever again; otherwise he'd be getting an untimely visit from me."

"So, it was civil? No black eye? Not lying unconscious in the alley?"

"Yes, no, and no."

"Patch."

"I swear, it was civil. I promise," he defended, putting his hands up. "I _wanted_ to give him a black eye and much more, but I restrained myself because of you."

"_Patch_."

"What?"

"I just... I can't believe you'd do that for me."

"I'd do anything for you." _Well, didn't I just walk into that one. What am I getting myself into?_ I put my hands on my face, trying to rub him from my sight. After a while, I said,

"God, Patch, I just met you."

"I know. I get attached way too easily. That's why I feel so protective of you." He pursed his lips, and I looked at my hands in my lap. There was another thick silence, and, to make up for it, he reached over and grabbed my hand, entwining our fingers. I let him rub the top of my hand for comfort, just as I needed his comfort. I realized that even though I'd just met him, I'd fallen for him every minute of the day. It felt so wrong, but so right. Tears welled in my eyes as I thought about how much I had tried to block him from my thoughts, from my presence; before him, I held my guard up and kept it up with the intention of not letting it fall down, but damn it, I let it fall again, and I wasn't ready for it to do that. Patch reached his other hand over to wipe a few tears from under my eyes. I looked at him, and he looked at me. The feelings were so strong in that moment, and I was so torn about how to proceed that I burst into tears. I brought a hand to my face to cover my wobbly bottom lip.

"Hey… what's wrong?" Patch asked, his voice mangled with concern.

"I just… I hate that I let my guard down again. I hate that I don't even know what I'm feeling and that I'm crying." My voice had shot up an octave, and I could feel myself start to shake. Patch somehow pulled me over to his side and wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight until the sobs subsided. I felt so safe and protected in his arms; I didn't want him to let go. He had to eventually and put the car in drive. I sat in the passenger's seat while he held my hand again.

We ended up driving to Patch's house to talk. My first instinct wasn't a very good one. I convinced myself that if he dared to try anything other than what he'd done already, I would demand to leave. We've been alone before, but now that we were at his house, anything could happen. He stopped in front, killing the engine and the silence.

"I know you're scared about us, but I need you to trust me." I closed my eyes and thought for a minute. I remembered when I met him, how I didn't want anything to do with him and how I thought he could deceive me in a matter of seconds – I was right. He completely and irrevocably deceived me. His intentions, although not fully clear, were harmless, as far as I could tell. My intentions have been completely changed and rewritten. All I wanted him to do was hold me and tell me everything was going to be okay, even though it wasn't. I tried my best to look calm and answered carefully.

"I'm _so_ scared, Patch. But, I trust you. I don't know how or why, but I do trust you." I looked at him one more time before we both got out and walked to the front door together. He wrapped an arm around my waist. I sighed, feeling defeated and stood at the door while he pulled a single key out of his pocket. He opened the door and gestured for me to go in first. I stepped inside and marveled at how modern and nice everything looked. The sky lights caught most of my attention. I have a secret fascination with sky lights. "Wow. This place is amazing."

"Thanks. Did it all myself." I turned to face him.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Wow," I repeated. As I moved from area to area to get a better look of the details, Patch sat at a barstool next to the island table, watching me. I suddenly started laughing, not because something was funny, but because I was tired. "Sorry, I'm tired," I told him. He smiled.

"Want to go to sleep?"

"Sure."

"You can sleep in my bed, if you want, or there's a guest room across the hall. Your pick." I stood in the middle of the living room, a finger on my bottom lip, trying to make up my mind. I weighed the consequences before deciding.

"Um… guest room."

"Very well. Follow me." He stood and walked down the hall. I followed him and stopped when he came to the door of the guest room.

"I am a guest, after all," I smiled, because it was true, but I had a feeling it was starting to turn into something more. He smiled back.

"Your statement couldn't have been truer." I laughed, opening the door and stepping inside. He stayed next to the door frame, watching me again. The room was painstakingly simple: a queen size bed, a small nightstand, and a lamp. I turned around to face him again. "Sweet dreams," he smiled, and closed the door.


End file.
